Note: Because of technical issues, today’s Dodgers-Rockies online game story was delayed. It is posted here as a blog.

Prior to this afternoon’s game, manager Clint Hurdle sat in the dugout and painted a stark and candid picture about what’s gone wrong with the Rockies this season. He sited the bullpen’s inability to get key outs, as well as the failure of hitters to come through when it counts the most.

Meanwhile, in the clubhouse, there was a 15-minute, players-only meeting.

Then the Rockies went out and lost via a paint-by-numbers replica of everything Hurdle had talked about.

They lost 8-6 when the Dodgers scored four runs in the seventh inning, picking on starter Ubaldo Jimenez and relievers Manuel Corpas and Randy Flores.

The Rockies staged a dramatic rally in the ninth against Dodgers 290-pound super closer Jonathan Broxton. But with the bases loaded, Troy Tulowitzki struck out on a 2-2, 90 mph slider for the second out. Tulowitzki went 0-for-5, striking out three times.

Broxton, staying away from danger, walked Todd Helton, forcing in a run. Up to the plate stepped pinch hitter Brad Hawpe, who’s been battling a sore groin. Hawpe grounded out weakly to short. Game over.

The Rockies have lost eight of nine to the Dodgers and trail them by 14 games in the National League West. In sweeping the three-game series, the Dodgers outscored the Rockies 31-10.

The loss was the Rockies’ fifth straight at home, this one coming in front of 22,277 fans on a perfect spring afternoon at Coors Field. The Rockies are 10 games under .500. (18-28), exactly where they were at this point last season.

Before a too-little, too-late, two-run rally in the ninth, the Rockies managed just four hits, yet they somehow held a 3-2 lead entering the seventh.

That lead quickly fell to pieces.

Trouble began when Jimenez walked Matt Kemp and Juan Castro followed with a single to left. Jimenez rallied to whiff pinch hitter Casey Blake for the second out. But Juan Pierre, the former Rockie, continues to haunting his old mates. His single to left scored Kemp, tied the game and drove Jimenez from the mound.

In came Flores, up stepped James Loney. He powered Flores’ fastball to center for a three-run double.

The Dodgers, an astronomical 18 games above .500 (33-15), tacked on a bonus run in the eighth off reliever Alan Embree. Pierre hit a bloop single to center, scoring Ethier. Pierre, the replacement for the suspended Manny Ramirez in left field, is hitting .404 with 20 RBIs in a mere 114 at-bats. That’s more RBIs than either Tulowitzki or Garrett Atkins, both of whom have at least 30 more at-bats than Pierre.

The Rockies got up off the mat long enough to take a 3-2 lead in the fourth. Matt Murton, getting the start in left and hitting cleanup, punched a ball up the middle, sprinted around first and turned a routine hit into a hustle double. Murton got to jog home when Spilborghs hammered a home run to left-center. Spilborgh’s homer, his fourth of the season, was his first since May 2.

Two free passes and a balk put Colorado on the board in the third. Clint Barmes and Paul Phillips drew back-to-back walks off Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw and advanced on a finely executed bunt by Jimenez. Barmes trotted home when Kershaw slipped during his delivery and was called for a balk.

The Dodgers cashed in a Loretta walk and a looping single to center by Loney to take a 1-0 lead in the first off Jimenez.

Sloppy fielding by a pitcher, a trademark for the Rockies this season, cost them a run in the second. Jimenez got Castro to hit a chopper to first baseman Helton, who fired to Tulowitzki to force Kemp at second. Tulowitzki fired back to first, hoping for the double play, but Jimenez, covering the bag, simply whiffed on the throw. Ethier jogged in from third, putting the Dodgers ahead 2-0.

The Rockies are off Thursday before opening a three-game series Friday at Coors Field against the Padres.

ATLANTA — In the wake of the worst losses in recent memory, the Rockies received good news Monday. Manager Clint Hurdle said that hitting instructor Don Baylor has been released from a metro-area hospital after an undisclosed illness. If Baylor feels fine after a couple of days at home, he will rejoin the Rockies Friday in Detroit for their weekend series.

Baylor was battling a cold during the last homestand. He has communicated messages to players during his absence. The only downside is that he stands to miss Todd Helton’s 2,000-hit milestone tonight. Helton sits one hit shy. Other than Coors Field, there could not be a better place for Helton to reach the goal. There will be plenty of family and friends here, and the usual number of folks journeying from Knoxville to see the University of Tennessee’s most famous player.
“I gave out 72 tickets,” Helton said.
Of course, knowing Helton’s dry wit, I asked, “Really?”
To which he said, “No, but it sounded good.”

As you can see, Helton is really stressing out about this. The cool thing is that he’s accomplishing the goal while playing great. No limping to the finish line. Helton has made that clear to me over the past week. The 2,000-hit mark is a road sign, not the final destination in his career. If he could somehow approach 3,000 he would become the first Rockie to make the Hall of Fame. That’s an ambitious goal right now, but I have learned not to rule anything out when it comes to Helton.

Denver — Baseball’s image suffered another black eye following a report by The Los Angeles Times that Manny Ramirez will be suspended for 50 games for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy.

The Dodgers have been baseball’s best team, winning all 13 of their home games. They are a dramatically different team without Ramirez. While details are still surfacing on what Ramirez may have taken — agent Scott Boras said the drug involved was prescribed by a doctor for a medical condition — manager Clint Hurdle reacted with sadness to the news.

Just when baseball thought it was starting to distance itself from the steroid era, another huge player has fallen.

“I think it’s here, it’s now. So any distance we might have picked up we lost as an industry. That’s the sad part of it,” Hurdle said. “For whatever reasons, there are some individuals who aren’t getting it. There are so many guys who are clean who continue to live under this black cloud. The notoriety of those involved, it saddens me as a father, as a citizen. My daughter relies on human growth hormone for instance. But we still live in an industry where guys are looking for an edge.”

Players watched as the story played out on TV. Many like Ramirez and were disappointed.
“It helps us, but I don’t like that it happened to him. He’s a good guy,” pitcher Jorge De La Rosa said.

Added Rockies’ cleanup hitter Garrett Atkins, “It’s frustrating. You would like to think the best players in the game our clean. But to say you are shocked at this point would be kind of silly.”
The Rockies are looking to sweep their first series this season today, facing the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field at 1:10 p.m. Hurdle has switched order of the lineup and given Atkins a rest.

San Diego — Left-handed hitters have proven to have an advantage against sinkerball pitchers. So it shouldn’t come as a total surprise that Rockies’ manager Clint Hurdle tweaked his lineup for tonight’s series finale against the San Diego Padres.

Ian Stewart, who has struggled against right-handed pitching, gets the start at second base, Seth Smith is in left and Brad Hawpe, a notorious sinkerball killer, bats cleanup. Garrett Atkins, the team’s main cleanup hitter, shifts to the fifth spot.

The Rockies are trying to salvage a winning road trip, having gone 2-2 against San Francisco and San Diego. The Padres have lost six straight, and will have a tall order tonight in Aaron Cook. Cook is 12-4 lifetime against San Diego, and his only win this season came against them last week at Coors Field.
A look at the Rockies’ lineup:
CF Dexter Fowler
LF Seth Smith
1B Todd Helton
RF Brad Hawpe
3B Garrett Atkins
SS Troy Tulowitzki
C Chris Iannetta
2B Ian Stewart
RHP Aaron Cook

Trying to build on their breakout offensive game against the Dodgers on Sunday, the Rockies faced 6-foot-10 Padres pitcher Chris Young tonight at chilly Coors Field. Young is 3-1 with a 4.20 ERA at Coors Field, where the Rockies hit just .243 against him. The Rockies will be tempted by his high heat, but they’d do well to lay off it and wait for a better pitch.

Young’s stature, and the steep plan of his pitches, makes him tough, especially on left-hander. Todd Helton, for instance, is 5-for-24 (.208) against Young.

Garrett Atkins’ .280 average vs. Young isn’t great, but it’s the better than most of the Rockies.

Young faces a Rockies lineup without Troy Tulowitzki. Tulo was benched for tonight’s game – and possibly for a few more – while he works to get out of a deep slump. He’s hitting just .167 and has struck out 17 times in 54 at-bats.

DENVER — The world gets a little smaller this week. At least at Coors Field. The Rockies were close to signing Chad Gaudin a couple of weeks ago as a free agent. His preference was to start, and all they could offer was a Triple-A opportunity with no guarantees. Their rotation was full, and they had a candidate-in-waiting in Jason Hammel.

So Gaudin picked the Padres, seeing the clearest path to the big leagues afer the Cubs cut ties with him in spring training. Well, with the latest injury to the Padres’ rotation, Shawn Hill, Gaudin got the call as Josh Geer was pushed back. Gaudin will start Tuesday against the Rockies opposite of Jorge De La Rosa.

The Rockies had interest in acquiring Gaudin last season from Oakland before the Cubs snagged him as part of the Rich Harden deal. Colorado’s interest cooled a bit this spring because Gaudin did not pitch well and his mechanics were out of whack. Plus, the Rockies were far down the road in getting Jason Hammel from Tampa Bay. Hammel will start for the Rockies at Coors Field, where temperatures will be slightly above Iditarod-ish by game time.

Due to complications with our online system, I’m posting the first edition of Saturday night’s game story on my blog.
Please look for the final story later online or in the Sunday paper.
— PS

Where’s Waldo? How about where’s Ubaldo?

Ubaldo Jimenez, the talented young pitcher the Rockies placed so much hope and faith in this season, is nowhere to be found.

Certainly that wasn’t the real Jimenez on the mound at Coors Field for four haphazard innings Saturday night as Rockies fell 6-5 to the Dodgers? But, in fact, it was. And once more, early-game pitching woes haunted the Rockies.

And it didn’t help that on a cold night at Coors Field, the offense failed to give the Rockies a jumpstart.

The loss was the Rockies’ 10th in their last 12 games and they’ve lost five straight to the Dodgers. Los Angeles, taking command of the National League West in the early going, improved to 13-5, tied with St. Louis for the best record in the majors.

His mechanics still out of whack and his fastball in need of a homing device, Jimenez was gone after throwing 91 pitches in four innings. After four starts, his ERA is an unsightly 7.58.

The Dodgers jabbed Jimenez for four runs on six hits in the first inning, the big blow a two-run single by Russell Martin. The stocky catcher added another two-run single off Jimenez in the fourth, putting the Dodgers ahead 6-3.

Colorado closed the gap to 6-5 in the fifth on Garrett Atkins’ two-run homer to left, driving in Todd Helton. But the Rockies, who managed just five hits total, couldn’t mount a rally in their last four innings against reliever Ramon Troncoso, who got his first major league save.

In recent games, the Rockies failed to cash in on their opportunities. Saturday night, they simply didn’t create enough opportunities.

The Rockies cut the Dodgers’ early 4-0 lead to 4-3 in the third on run-scoring single by Seth Smith and a two-run double by Brad Hawpe off L.A. rookie starter James McDonald, who notched his first big-league victory.

The Rockies will look to avoid their second sweep of the season by the Dodgers on Sunday afternoon at Coors Field.

The Rockies, loser of nine of their last 11, could use a laugher to loosen things up and get the early-season gorilla off their back.

Is tonight the night? It could be, what with Dodgers rookie right-hander James McDonald on the mound. He’s a good young pitcher with a strong arm, but he could be the tonic the Rockies need.

In his last start, McDonald lasted 4 1/3 innings vs. the Rockies in L.A., giving up no runs on four hits and three walks. He baffled the Rockies with his big curve and mind-90s fastball. But here’s betting the Rockies figure him out on the second go-round and have a big night offensively.

They sure could use one. Colorado is batting .244 (12th in the NL).

It’s cold and chilly with gray skies hovering over Coors Field. However, the forecast doesn’t call for significant rain, so the Dodgers and Rockies should have no trouble getting in tonight’s game.

CHICAGO — Brad Hawpe’s stiff left hamstring felt better this morning, but he’s not starting as a precaution. He will be available to pinch-hit. Ian Stewart makes his first career start in right field. Stewart, a third baseman by trade, will spend a chunk of batting practice familiarizing himself with Wrigley’s odd nooks.

“It looks small, but it’s a lot different than other places with the angles and the brick wall,” Stewart said.

Stewart struggled on two flyballs in left field at Coors Field last weekend, but that represented an aberration to manager Clint Hurdle. Stewart handled outfield duties without incident in spring training, which is what the boss keeps going back to.

“He just needs to be an athlete out there. He will be fine,” Hurdle said.

Besides, Hurdle wants to load up with as many left-handed bats against Cubs’ starter Rich Harden. They hit around .200 against him last season, compared to .167 for righties. The Rockies have lost nine straight games in Wrigley Field. A look at the lineups:

The homer-happy Rockies face the Phillies and right-hander Brett Myers this evening at Coors Field.

The Rockies have hit at least one homer in each of their first four games this season. That’s the first time the Rockies have done that since 2004 when they homered in six straight to start the season. The club record for consecutive games with a home run to start the season is 12, in 1997.

The irony of it is that these Rockies aren’t trying to be a crew of sluggers. Everyone I’ve talked to, from “Spilly” to Garrett Atkins, is talking about hitting the ball hard, moving base runners and simply getting good at-bats. The home runs are very nice byproduct of their approach.

Angels 18, Rockies 11At Tempe Diablo StadiumAt the plate:Jeff Baker showed simultaneously why teams want him, namely the Astros and Pirates, and why the Rockies want fair value to move him. Starting his first game at third base, Baker homered twice and singled. Baker has said he doesn’t concern himself with trade rumors or injuries. “I used to worry about stuff that I couldn’t control, and it doesn’t do any good,’’ said Baker, who also committed a throwing error. Baker’s is out of options and facing a roster crunch. Catcher Yorvit Torrealba, another player the Rockies would consider trading, continued his strong spring with a home run to left field. Torrealba finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, raising his average to .306. Dexter Fowler, bucking for a roster spot, turned a bloop single into a double with alarming speed.

On the mound:It would be difficult to imagine a worse day pitching – think of the July 4 game against the Marlins at Coors Field and you’re getting close.
In recording only 13 outs, Jason Marquis was bombed for 12 runs and 10 hits. He had no command of his sinker as his ERA inflated to 14.14 ERA. At this point in the recap, the pitcher usually explains his outing. Marquis, however, left the ballpark without running, so that discussion will have to take place tomorrow morning. Reliever Juan Morillo also failed to escape the sixth, allowing a 400-foot-plus home run to Sean Rodriguez. Matt Belisle was the shining headlight in this car wreck, dropping the gate on the Angels’ deluge. In other words, he didn’t allow a run in his four outs of work, cause for celebration on this day. Belisle is making a push to secure the final relief spot. He’s competing with Josh Fogg, who pitches Friday in Tucson. The Angels have scored 56 runs with 15 home runs over their last four games.

In the field: Baker’s flyball struck Torii Hunter on the nose as he collided into the wall, leading to a hospital visit.

Attention all shoppers: Jeff Baker is starting at third base today for the Rockies. We’re talking to you Pittsburgh, Houston, Philadelphia, and, to a lesser degree, Atlanta and the Yankees.

The Rockies are exploring moving Baker given their depth. He’s out of options, it’s going to be hard for him to make the team so now’s the time to get something. Baker makes a lot of sense as a starting third base candidate for Houston and Pittsburgh, a bench bat for the Phillies, and a protection for injuries for the Yankees and Braves. Fox Sports reported that Philadelphia might be willing to part with Kyle Kendrick for Baker. If that’s the case, I would be shocked if the Rockies don’t jump on it. A potential fifth starter for a bench player, that would be a win for the Rockies.

The latter two teams lack a sense of urgency, so it’s unlikely anything gets done.

Final thoughts on the WBC…
–Daisuke Matsuzaka was named MVP. He’s a beast, and deserving of the honor. But I would have given the hardware to Ichiro. His 10th-inning, game-winning at-bat was equal parts Todd Helton and Derek Jeter. He grinded, before roping a two-strike single into center field. Ichiro finished with four hits — I wouldn’t have let him beat me. Why not walk him to load the bases? Ichiro was a ghost in the second round, but he was money on Monday.
–Yu Darvish went Weeble Wobble in the ninth, but regained his balance to retrieve the win in the 10th. He will be a legitimate No. 1 starter in the big leagues someday. His fastball sat at 96 miles per hour, while he mixed in an 83-mph slider that was filthy.
–The Koreans were a joy to watch, never conceding even though their roster had only one big leaguer, Cleveland’s Shin-Soo Choo, who homered Monday.
–The Korean fans were crazy loud. Their chants make the “Tu-Lo!” chant at Coors Field seem tame by comparison.
–Rip the WBC at your own risk. Given the choice of a spring training game in Tucson or this, it’s a no-brainer. There is real buzz, real electricity. Both times I have covered this event, it’s been a blast. And this game was special. I felt like I should hand over $100 bucks at the end, because I had just been to a clinic.
–Next report will be from the Cactus League.

During his visit to Coors Field last week, Scott Podsednik talked about familiarity and opportunity. That’s why he’s still a Rockie. He will be given a shot to compete for the center field job. He will also be given the shot to leave if it doesn’t look like he’s going to make the team. Podsednik signed an $800,000 minor-league deal, and can ask for his release if not on the 25-man roster on April 3.

Podsednik also can make $175,000 in incentives for plate appearances starting at 500 and ending at 650.

Footnotes
The Astros signed former Rockies’ reliever Jose Capellan to a $500,000 minor-league deal. He will make $13,000 in the minors. Capellan failed to make the Rockies team last spring. … The Dodgers signed reliever Scott Strickland to a $650,000 minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training. … Baltimore added utilityman Jolbert Cabrera on a $550,000 minor-league contract with $50,000 in in incentives if he reaches 250 plate appearances.

The first score came in today that MLB Network can show, if it had a sense of humor.
Common Sense 2, Idiocy 0.

At their meetings in Arizona, major league owners voted to amend two significant rules, the first directly tied to last fall’s playoffs.

Henceforth, all suspended postseason games or play-in games will be played to completion at the same site regardless of the score or how many innings have been completed. This rule can be traced back to last season’s World Series when commissioner Bud Selig, in a moment of clarity, invoked his power and determined that Game 5 would be suspended and played to its completion at Citizen’s Bank Park. The fact that the players and the Fox Network weren’t aware of this before or during the game was surprising, if not embarrassing. But the managers and team officials from the Phillies and Rays knew. Now everyone does.

So there should be no Donovan McNabb moments in MLB. No five-inning playoff victories because of rain. No ties. The game will be played to the final out, whenever the weather is willing to cooperate. This is so wildly smart and logical, it’s hard to believe baseball is doing it. Games of this significance should be decided on the field, not by Double Doppler radar.

The second change involves determining home-field advantage in tie-breaker games that involve playoff berths. The coin flip is out. As recommended by GMs during their annual meeting in November, a criteria will be used — what a great idea since it’s been employed by youth baseball for years — beginning with head-to-head records between the teams. Again, this is so sane, I had to check to make sure the press release wasn’t issued by the NFL.

For the record, the Rockies would have still hosted the Padres in the 2007 play-in game as they went 11-8 against San Diego during the regular season. As it was, that game landed at Coors Field because of the lucky coin flip calls by traveling secretary Paul Egins.

Even without games, this was a good day for baseball. Now, let’s hope logic doesn’t remain a stranger in the future.

As Brad Hawpe talked, he held his new son Drake in his arms. It has been a wonderfully different and rewarding winter for the Rockies’ right fielder.
He stayed in Denver to train for the first time as his wife prepared for the birth of the couple’s second child. Not long after Drake arrived, Hawpe was given another surprise: an invitation from Team USA to play in this spring’s second World Baseball Classic.
On Monday, Hawpe accepted after discussions with his family and Colorado’s front office.
“I have never done anything like this. When it was offered, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ It never crossed my mind,’’ Hawpe said. “I am excited about this opportunity. My goal is to go to the World Series and win it and I didn’t want to do anything that would adversely affect that. I got the approval from the Rockies and I came to the conclusion that this could do nothing but help me.’’
Hawpe figures to get plenty of playing time in an outfield that will include Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun and Cleveland’s Grady Sizemore, among others. He will join Rockies’ catcher Chris Iannetta and former Colorado closer Brian Fuentes on the squad.
“If Iannetta was going and I wasn’t, that would seem weird. Either we both going or we weren’t,’’ Hawpe said. “I look forward to running around there with (Fuentes). And this will give me a chance to meet and get to know a lot of the good people in baseball.’’
Hawpe has been working out with teammates at Coors Field, including Jeff Francis, Manuel Corpas, Todd Helton, Aaron Cook and Clint Barmes. He appeared in great shape – no surprise – when he walked through the clubhouse Monday. Hawpe plans to travel to his home in Fort Worth, Texas in a few weeks to get outside work in preparation for the WBC.

Leaner, fitter and with his confidence restored, Manuel Corpas is hatching a comeback from his disappointing 2008 season.

The Rockies’ reliever, who wowed the baseball world with his 2007 postseason (1-0, 0.87 ERA, five saves in nine appearances), says he’s ready to compete with Huston Street for the closer’s role when the Rockies report to Tucson for spring training next month.

“I’ve never met (Street), but I think it will be a good competition, and all I can do is do my best,” Corpas said today after his morning workout at Coors Field. “I like the competition, I like the pressure.”

But to reclaim the closer’s role that he lost to Brian Fuentes last year, Corpas must convince the Rockies that he’s committed, and must prove he has regained the razor-sharp edge he showed in 2007. To that end, Corpas is working out fulltime in Denver for the first time. It appears to be paying off.

“I’m feeling really good right now,” Corpas said.

Corpas, who said he’ll begin throwing bullpen sessions on Tuesday, also must show the Rockies that he’s regained the arm motion that made his sinking fastball and biting slider such a dominant weapon two years ago.

“I watched a lot of tape and I realized what I was doing wrong,” Corpas said.

Simply put, Corpas was dropping his arm to the side instead of throwing with more of an over-the-top motion. As a result, his pitches were spinning over the plate last season, resulting in a 4.52 ERA that was more than twice as high as his 2.08 ERA in 2007.

The 2008 Rockies media guide lists Corpas at 6-foot-3, 170 pounds. Sure, he weighed that much some point – like when he signed with the organization as a skinny Panamania teenager at age 16.

Last season, at age 25, Corpas ballooned up to 230 pounds, and he admitted the spare tire around his mid-section was a contributing factor to a disappointing 2008 season.

“I started feeling more tired,” said Corpas, who blamed with weight gain on too many late-night meals of chicken, rice and beans.

Corpas is down to 216 pounds now and would like to drop a few more pounds before he heads to the Dominican Republic at the end of the month to workout at the Rockies’ Latin American facility before heading to Tucson. Soon after comes the honor of closing for his native Panama in the World Baseball Classic.

Corpas’ personal life has changed dramatically, too. He and his girlfriend, Amy, had a son two months ago. Manuel Alan came into the world about five weeks premature and spent time in an incubator. But he’s a growing and healthy baby now. Corpas and his girlfriend plan to get married next month in Las Vegas.

A confluence of factors led the Rockies to acquiring Jason Marquis, a transaction that will become official tomorrow. He’s a winner, having gone to the playoffs every season of his career. He’s a competitor, posting a 2.51 ERA in his Coors Field cameos. And he’s a hitter, primed to join Mike Hampton, Jason Jennings and Aaron Cook as Rockies’ starters who have commanded respect in the batter’s box.

Marquis, 30, owns a .206 career average — OK, he’s a pitcher, not the everyday left fielder. And last season he hit two home runs with 10 RBIs. The ability to hit can pay dividends in decisions. When a manager trusts a pitcher to handle the bat, he sticks around for an extra inning rather than immediately being pulled for a pinch-hitter at first glance after the fifth inning.

Marquis grew up in New York, and there was some rumblings the Cubs would send him to the Mets. The issue with the Mets is that they are focused on landing a top-of-the-rotation starter, namely Derek Lowe. The two sides remain far apart on dollars, which brings us to Tim Redding.

Redding remains on the Rockies’ radar. And for good reason. He could come in around $3 million, won 10 games for a horrible Nationals’ squad last season and beat the Phillies three times. Redding has commanded the most attention from the Mets and Orioles. If the Lowe sweepstakes drags out, Redding could end up taking an opportunity elsewhere. This is the time of year, with 39 days until spring training and less than half of the players signed, that free agents begin flying off the board.

Look for the Rockies to address bench issues once they have added Marquis. Scott Podsednik and the Rockies have mutual interest. Colorado, however, is offering only a non-guaranteed deal for Podsednik, whose speed could be beneficial even in a reserve role with the departure of Willy Taveras. Colorado added utilityman Luis Gonzalez last week.

Footnotes
The Washington Nationals have signed left-hander Will Ledezma to a $750,000 minor-league deal. … The White Sox agreed with Randy Williams on a $410,000 minor-league deal … As part of Tony Clark’s $800,000 contract with the Diamondbacks, he will receive a $500,000 bonus if traded. It’s a defacto no-trade because Clark wants to finish his career with Arizona.

The Rockies are going to swap a relief bust for rotation depth.
The Rockies and Cubs have agreed in principle on a deal that would send Luis Vizcaino to Chicago for starter Jason Marquis, according to multiple baseball sources.
The deal, first reported by ESPN, likely won’t become official until next week. The Rockies made the math work to get a starter they have coveted for a month, while removing a setupman who asked to be dealt at season’s end after expressing unhappiness with his role.
The Rockies will ship the $4 million remaining on Vizcaino’s deal for the $9.875 million left on Marquis’ contract. The Cubs are expected to eat around a $1 million on Marquis’ contract, leaving the Rockies to pay approximately $5 million for one season of the right-hander.
Chicago, meanwhile, still nets a $5 million savings, crystallizing the motivation for both clubs.
Rockies’ general manager Dan O’Dowd could not be immediately reached for comment. He acknowledged interest in Marquis at the winter meetings, but at the time wasn’t sure he could make the money fit in his $72-million payroll. Marquis profiles as a fourth or fifth starter. He has had success at Coors Field in limited exposure and went 11-9 with a 4.53 ERA in 29 games last season.
The Rockies have been seeking another starter for weeks, identifying free agent Tim Redding and Marquis as targets.
Vizcaino, 34, was given the richest Rockies’ contract ever by a free-agent reliever a year ago – two-year, $8 million — after attempts to re-sign LaTroy Hawkins failed. Vizcaino struggled mightily, never assuming his predicted eighth-inning role. He finished with a 5.28 ERA, with lefties hitting .372 off him with eight home runs. During the last week of the season, he told The Denver Post that he wasn’t happy with the way he was used – citing work in mopup duty – and questioned his future with the organization. In late October, he was arrested in Tampa and charged with a misdemeanor DUI.

Patrick, a third-generation Colorado native, is back for his second stint covering the Rockies. He first covered the team from 2005-2009, helping chronicle “Rocktober” in 2007 and also following the team’s playoff run in 2009.

Nick Groke has worked at The Denver Post since 1997, as a sports reporter, city reporter, entertainment writer and digital editor and producer, among other newsroom posts. He also writes regularly about boxing, soccer, MMA and NASCAR.